Pirelli ahead of schedulePirelli motorsport director Paul Hembrey says they are ahead of schedule as they prepare for their first season in Formula One.

Pirelli, who are set to replace Bridgestone as F1's tire supplier next season, conducted their second test this week at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

The team used an old Toyota TF109 chassis for the test with former Merc GP test driver Nick Heidfeld behind the wheel.

"We're very happy with the progress we've made so far, which actually puts us slightly ahead of where we expected to be at this point in time," said Hembery.

"We worked through an initial development program that has given us a useful insight into the performance of our prototype tires under a wide range of conditions, corners and speeds.

"We've been hugely encouraged by what we've seen up to now, and that's been helped by both Nick's clear and precise feedback, as well as all the different possibilities afforded to us by the Paul Ricard circuit."

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